Essential Recipes For Students: The Pasta Edition

Feeling hungry? We’ve got some essential recipes for students that you need to try, all involving pasta!

Pasta is a super easy ingredient, it’s quick, yummy, and versatile – what more could a busy student want, right?

When staying in your luxury accommodation, you’ll get your very own modern kitchen, perfect for cooking some scrumptious dishes.

We’ve done some research and found the essential recipes perfect for a late-night snack or a big hearty dinner.

Let’s take a look!

1. Meatball Pasta Bake

This particular recipe makes 4 HUGE portions, perfect for busy students who want to make their meals in batches.

Ingredients:

• Mince 600g
• Garlic
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp mixed herbs
• 2 tins chopped tomatoes
• Packet of pasta
• Grated cheese

Method:

1. Firstly, cook your pasta in a pan of boiling water!
2. If you’re wanting to make your own meatballs, mix some mince, half an onion, tomato puree, mixed herbs and salt and pepper in a bowl with your hands.
3. Cook the balls in a hot frying pan for around 8-10 minutes.
4. Add the tinned tomatoes and garlic, and if it’s too thick, add a bit of water.
5. Whilst you let the mix boil, turn it down to simmer for five minutes.
6. Drain your pasta and pour it into a deep baking dish, next, pour the sauce and meatballs over the top.
7. Sprinkle (a generous amount) of cheese on the top, yummy!
8. Put it in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is crispy and golden.

2. One Pan Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake

Have you ever heard of anything more delicious than a one-pan pepperoni pizza pasta bake? We thought so!

This hearty dish can serve up to 5-8 people, perfect for batch cooking once again!

Ingredients:

• Pasta 500g
• Water 400ml
• Pepperoni slices
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• Pizza sauce 200g

Method:

1. Put your frying pan on over medium heat, add the tinned tomatoes, pizza sauce, and most of the pepperoni slices.
2. Mix it together and warm it for 5 minutes.
3. Add in 400ml of water and 500g of pasta and make sure you mix well, turn up the heat to bring the mixture to a boil, and cook the pasta.
4. Next is the best part…the cheese! Remove the pan from the heat and top with some more cheese and pepperoni slices.
5. Put the whole pan in the oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes or so until the top of the cheese has melted.

3. Creamy Brocolli And Bacon Pasta

This is one of the greatest essential recipes for students, because you can pack some veg in there too!

Ingredients:

• 75g uncooked pasta
• 150ml crème fraiche
• Half a pack of smoked bacon lardons or 2 smoked bacon rashers
• 2-3 florets of broccoli
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. If you’ve got bacon rashers, make sure to cut them up into smaller pieces first.
2. Get your broccoli and cut that up into small pieces.
3. Cook the pasta, and whilst that’s cooking, fry the bacon and broccoli on a medium heat until cooked through.
4. Drain your pasta and stir in the broccoli and bacon into the pasta.
5. Make sure your pan is on a low heat, mix in your crème fraiche and add some salt & pepper for extra seasoning.

4.  Tuna Pasta Bake

Everybody loves a tuna pasta bake – right? It’s a classic!

This meal is affordable, easy to prepare and super delicious, a perfect essential recipe for students!

Ingredients:

• One large tin of chopped tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon of mixed dried herbs
• 120g can of tuna, drained
• One small can of sweetcorn
• 250g dried pasta
• 60g grated cheese

Method:

1. Warm through the tomatoes with the herbs on a gentle heat with herbs for 2 minutes, then stir in the tuna and sweetcorn.
2. Cook your pasta in a separate pan, drain, and tip it into the pan of sauce and mix.
3. Get an ovenproof dish and layer the pasta with the grated cheese, with more cheese on top!
4. Bake it in the oven for 20 minutes until it’s cooked and the cheese is melted.

5. Vegetable Pasta Bake

Want to get your five a day in one of our essential recipes? Try out this yummy vegetable pasta bake!

Ingredients:

• 1 red pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 aubergine
• 1 courgette
• 1 red onion
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 150g cherry tomatoes/halved
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp chopped basil
• 300g pasta
• 150g mozzarella ball
• 2 tbsp pesto
• 2-3 tbsp finely grated parmesan

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 190C (170C fan)
2. Put your peppers, aubergine, courgette and onion into a roasting tin or deep baking dish and coat with oil.
3. Add the cherry tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, garlic, and basil, and cook for 10-15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiled salted water and add some of the pasta water to the vegetables to loosen the sauce.
5. Drain the pasta and stir in the roasted vegetables, stir through your mozzarella and pesto, top with parmesan and return to the oven for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.

 

6.  Herby Mushroom Pasta

Mushrooms: you either love them or hate them, and if you’re a fan, you’re going to love this herby mushroom pasta dish!

Ingredients:

• 250g field of portobello mushrooms
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 3 garlic cloves
• 150ml vegetable stock
• 250g penne pasta
• 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
• Zest of 1 lemon

Method:

1. Put the mushrooms, mustard, garlic, and vegetable stock into a frying pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are soft.
2. Cook the pasta and drain and toss with the mushrooms, parsley, and lemon zest. Season and serve!

7. Tomato Pasta Bake Recipe

This classic tomato pasta bake recipe is another one of our essential recipes you need to try!

It serves two, but you can always add more pasta if you want to bulk it up a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• A pinch of sugar
• A few dashes of Worcester sauce
• 100g pasta
• 50g cheese
• Sliced bread/baguette
• 2 frankfurters (sliced)

Method:

1. Heat your oil in a medium pan and fry the onion for 5 minutes until it’s softened and lightly golden.
2. Stir in the garlic and cook for a few minutes, next, mix in the tomatoes and sugar, boil, and simmer for 20 minutes and add a few dashes of Worcester sauce.
3. Cook your pasta according to the pack instructions, heat the grill to high and mix the cheese and the breadcrumbs.
4. Drain the pasta and stir in the sauce, tip in the frankfurters, and spoon the mix into a heatproof dish.
5. Scatter over the cheesy crumbs and grill for 3-5 minutes or until it’s bubbling, hot and golden.

8. Sausage Ragu

This comforting budget friendly dish is another one of our essential recipes, perfect for freezing leftovers!

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• 2 large garlic cloves
• ¼ tsp chilli flakes
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 2 x 400g chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 6 pork sausages
• 150ml whole milk
• 1 lemon, zested
• 350g rigatoni pasta
• Grated parmesan

Method:

1. Heat your oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion with a pinch of salt for 7 mins.
2. Add the garlic, chilli, rosemary and cook for 1 minute.
3. Tip in the tomatoes and sugar and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Heat the remaining oil in a medium pan, squeeze the sausage meat from the skins, fry, and break it up with a wooden spoon until it’s golden.
5. Add the sauce with the milk and lemon zest, then simmer for a further 5 minutes.
6. Cook the pasta and drain and toss with the sauce, scatter over the parmesan and parsley leaves and serve!

Are you feeling hungry yet? We hope you enjoy these essential recipes for students, they’re super easy to make, very delicious and bound to please your friends. The best part? Your luxury accommodation comes with top quality kitchen facilities, so you can cook your meals with ease! Wondering how you can save the environment as a student? Check out our blog here for more info.